The current trend for side window roller blinds of motor vehicles is to conceal the guide mechanisms for guiding the roller blind as much as possible. Thus, the previously used guide rails running on the sides of the rectangular part of the window must be replaced by guide or support rods. When the roller blind is deployed, the support rods, as their name implies, support the pull rod that is arranged at the free end of the shade. It thus takes on two functions, namely, guiding the pull rod such that it remains against the window and generating the necessary thrust to unwind shade from the winding shaft and keep it under tension.
The pull rod that is mounted at the free upper end of the support rod is intended to distribute the force exerted by the pull rod uniformly onto the shade so that it is kept taut and free of folds in all areas. In particular, it is considered unattractive if any slanted folds appear in the shade. These can result if the angle of connection between support rod and pull rod is offset with respect to the angle that the shade tends to assume due to its shape during unwinding from the winding shaft.
Also problematic in the known roller blinds are conical winding shafts. Heretofore, it has only been possible to use such winding shafts in connection with manually operated window roller blinds.